Once the bill is signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, NBA wagering can begin at Golden Nugget, which has remained on the sidelines during basketball betting since launch.

Golden Nugget on the sidelines during NBA season

The original NJ sports betting legislation did not permit casino owners to offer wagering on a sport if they owned a team in that sport. This included any online skins or partners.

Tilman Fertitta, who owns the Golden Nugget and NBA’s Houston Rockets, was the only AC casino owner impacted by this rule.

As a result, Golden Nugget and its online partners BetAmerica and PlaySugarHouse could not reap the benefits of NBA betting in New Jersey.

Eventually, SugarHouse decided to switch partners in order to offer NBA odds. It moved to Monmouth Park’s license in October 2018.

Golden Nugget + Houston Rockets

Loosening the restrictions means Golden Nugget sportsbook and BetAmerica NJ are no longer on the outside looking in during pro basketball betting.

Under the new bill, Golden Nugget and online partner BetAmerica sportsbook can accept bets on NBA games. However, those involving James Harden, Russell Westbrook and the Rockets will remain off-limits.

This is similar to the restriction placed on Golden Nugget’s sports betting in Nevada.

But while the Nugget waits for Murphy’s stamp of approval, NBA betting is still a couple of months away from tipoff.

Until then, there are plenty of US Open, college football, and MLB wagering opportunities.

Bill Gelman is a veteran sports writer based just outside of Philadelphia and not too far from the Jersey Shore. Bill spends time in Atlantic City writing about casino openings and expansions, special events and world championship boxing at Boardwalk Hall. He is now adding NJ sports betting and online gambling to the mix.